Priyanka Gandhi demands that Lakhimpur Kheri panchayat polls be held again
Lucknow: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday met two women with whom the BJP workers had allegedly misbehaved, and demanded that the recent panchayat elections held in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh be cancelled and re-polls be held.
She is on a two-day visit to the capital city ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls next year.
On July 9, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had alleged that the BJP workers misbehaved with his party candidate Ritu Singh and her proposer Anita Yadav. He also claimed that the saffron party workers pulled the sarees of Ritu and Anita.
"I came to meet them, because they are women, they are my sisters, and I want to tell (them) that each and every woman of India stands with them. I told them not to feel afraid, and have confidence.
One day, you (the two women) will file the nomination papers, and emerge victorious in the polls. You must fight, and all of us will fight for you," Gandhi told reporters at Semra village in Pathgava block of Lakhimpur Kheri district.
UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu was also present during Gandhi's meeting with Ritu and Anita.
The Congress general secretary further said, "This is a fight for democracy. Women were given reservation in our democracy so that their rights can be upheld. And the situation has become such wherein a woman went to file her nomination papers, and she was beaten up. This is not democracy. I demand that this election be cancelled, and also at all those places where these types of incidents have occurred, and re-polling be held."
Putting the ball in the state government's court to fix things, she said all those responsible for such an act should be held accountable.
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
